Puppy Primer, The First Instructions.

Congratulations! 

How incredibly exciting is having a new puppy? 

Those little feet, the happy wag, the endless kisses, and the silly adorable play. It is the magical moments of a new life and the joys of learning about all of the new things to sniff, chew, toss, squeak, and discover. 

Along with the endless entertainment of a new puppy comes the responsibility of a new life. There is a lot to learn, remember, and protect your new pup from. But don't worry there is an army people available to help you. Ask for help, ask for advice, and know that every step of the way there are resources of every kind available to you. Here's the advice from a vet, but seek out friends, family and your puppies first family. 

We are all here to help you build a strong life-long bond. 

My first piece of advice is to see a vet within the first three days of  getting your new puppy. 

Until that time pick up all feces and keep your puppy in your yard and away from other pets. I know it sounds harsh and strict, but I have seen a new puppy become very sick very quickly and then get every other pet in their social circle sick. Play it safe and keep your puppy away from other puppies and dogs for the first few weeks. After they are 6 months old and have completed of their vaccines your puppy is fine to go out and see the world. Until then think of your puppy as having an "immature immune system". Even if you are getting shots every three weeks your pup still may not be able to face and defeat a challenge from a disease, even one that they have been vaccinated for. 

Another small note with the importance of a 'new pet visit'. If the breeder or adoption agency says 'up to date on shots' it is still a very good idea to see your vet as soon as possible. They will help you identify what your vaccine schedule is, whether or not you need any monthly preventatives, and give you lots of helpful advice. Their advice is well worth the minimal cost and the safety and well-being of your puppy.

Even as I ask you to keep your pup sheltered I do not want to tell you to keep them from being socialized. It is very important to expose your puppy to other pets so that they are not afraid of, or unable to interact with them. Most pets develop fear as a result of anxiety. The anxiety in many cases stems from either not having been exposed to other animals, or from not being allowed to learn how to act around others. Puppy classes are a wonderful way to safely introduce your puppy to others, and also how to effectively communicate with your puppy. Invite the whole family to go to class. You can all learn the new language of puppy talk together. And that way you can all help in the raising and rearing of your puppy.

If you have a small dog, the ability to make multiple return visits, or if you have any concerns about a vaccine reaction, I recommend that the vaccines be split up. 
I try not to give more than two shots per visit to the little, young, or sensitive pups. 

A microchip is a very safe, effective way to reunite you with your pet should you ever be separated  Have your puppy micro-chipped at your first visit. Puppy-napping has become a more and more common crime, especially in a depressed economy. A microchip can be easily and quickly placed and will not be painful if done by an experienced person. Remember to register your puppy immediately, and remember to keep your information updated should your puppy need to find you. 

Ask your veterinarian what they recommend for heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. At our clinic we advocate they be used monthly. Heartworm preventatives prevent heartworm disease, which can be expensive to treat and fatal. Many preventatives are also monthly de-wormers. Every monthly pill will treat and prevent some of the most common intestinal worms. I tell my clients that "for all that we do for our pets in my opinion you get the biggest bang for your buck with heartworm prevention." I also recommend that it be given monthly year around so your pet is not at risk of getting heartworm disease. If you forget to give your pet a pill for longer than 6 weeks it is recommended that your pet be re-tested for heartworm disease before resuming the monthly prevention. The cost of the heartworm test is often more expensive than the skipping of the three months that you think your pet doesn't need to be treated. These products are dosed by your pets weight. Make sure that your pet is given the correct dose based on their size.

We also recommend a good monthly flea and tick preventative. In our neck of the woods we need this product because the ticks around the Mid-Atlantic region carry of Lyme disease. Along with the yearly vaccine the use of this product monthly will protect them

well against the dangers of Lyme disease.

For dogs less than twenty pounds I recommend using a harness and a leash to walk her. The harness is safer  than a collar, so they doesn't traumatize their trachea if they pull on the leash, and also that if you need to tug them quickly away from any dangers so that it won’t pull on their trachea. Smaller dogs have weaker cartilage so less trauma to the trachea is safer. With this said, discourage them from pulling. Being good on a leash is good manners.

For larger dogs I recommend a sturdy heavy 6 foot leash. Big dogs on retractable leashes can be catastrophic. If they lunge or run the leash can break, or it can pull you off your feet. I have seen many dogs hit by cars, run away, or people injured due retractable leashes.

The best thing that you can do for them is take them everywhere with you. Let them be the other kid and show them the world so they aren't afraid of anything.

If you find that your puppy is requiring too much time and attention and that they have too much energy for you to adequately get them tired then I would suggest that you get another puppy. I know it sounds crazy but two puppies can be easier than one. They tire each other out, they have far fewer behavioral issues (because they are happy and tired), and they will take some demands for attention off of your plate. I swear by the two puppy theory. I spend all day working and my puppies have each other to snuggle with, play with, and interact with. I know that they are happier because they have each other. My husband and I are happier too. Watching them play wrestle, sleep cuddled up together and being able to tell them to play with each other so that every so often we can actually spend a few moments together is a blessed thing.

Our Puppies.
Charlie and Jekyll doing their morning wiggle dance.

Take lots and lots of pictures, and please share them with everyone. And never hesitate to call your vet, friends, breeder, or adoption center if you have any questions or concerns. We are all here to help.

If you have any puppy (or any other kind of pet question) you can find answers anytime, and always free at Pawbly, or you can find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

So You Want To Rescue A Puppy? Advice on how to avoid the disasters of trying to do a good thing.

Aurora

I remind myself daily that "No good deed goes unpunished."

So why do I keep finding myself back at the junction of "do the right thing," and "how to minimize kicking myself later?"

Cinderella and Aurora

I just have to keep reminding myself that I was called to become a veterinarian, and that my obligations remain with helping pets in need. I remain steadfast determined to continue to do this, no matter how many self-inflicted numskull blows to the head I deliver.

I do a lot of work with rescues. Truth be told, I truly love helping them. We are a bunch of frazzled, over-extended, die-hards stuck on the fix of that endorphin potion that tears of happy endings brings. It's the same high gamblers chase to clutch that big payout. That chance that our time, efforts, dedication, and unyielding conviction will pay off somewhere down the line. We all live for the "happily ever after." And, after all, it can happen.

Dasher

Prancer

Here is my advice for protecting your heart and wallet from the chances of sad endings when it comes to rescuing a puppy.

1. Go to a local, reputable, long standing rescue. Ask your vet for their recommendation.

2. Ask the rescue if they are a non-profit? Sadly, there are impostors out there. I call them puppy trafficking rings. There are people who go into high density, high-kill shelters removing puppies and shuttling them into high demand areas. The puppies are sold for profit and the cycle continues.

3. Ask when the puppy was transported? A conscientious rescue will hold the puppies for 10-14 days before adopting them out. The stress of transport, the confining of many dogs, and the odds one of them isn't exposed, or shedding disease all trigger and perpetuate disease. Most of these will become apparent within the first two weeks.

4. Ask where the puppies have been kept since arrival. Ideally, they were taken into a foster family with only a few other dogs. This allows socialization, observation, and understanding of what potential health or behavior issues the puppy may have.

5. When were they seen by a vet? All new pets should be seen by a veterinarian within 3 days. Rescue and adoptees alike. Not being seen is not acceptable. Medical records should be willingly surrendered for your perusal and copies should be transferred to you upon adoption.

Four  of the original seven reindeer pups on their way home
from their last vet puppy visit.

Puppies should have the following:

• Vaccinations every 2-3 weeks. Preferably by a veterinarian. These are patient and location specific.
• De-worming every 2-3 weeks between 6-10 weeks. Preferably by a veterinarian.
• Fecal examination for intestinal worms by a veterinarian at 8 weeks, or immediately if having diarrhea. At this time they should also start their monthly heartworm preventative to also protect against intestinal worms.
• Microchipped. Many rescues require that the chip stay in their name. I am fine with this. Quite honestly, this saves more pets than allowing microchips to be transferred into individuals names. People move, change their phone, and surrender pets. Keep the microchip in the name of the most stable place available, the rescue.
• A person who has loved them and treated them like family in the time between transport and adoption. The formative months of a puppies development are key to being an obedient, well-mannered companion. An invested foster parent can describe their pups like a proud parent.
• Pick your puppy based on how well they will integrate into your family. Each puppy, regardless of breed, size, color, or shape is their own person. There should be an equivalent 200 questionnaire to match your pet to you... not you deciding on who  is cutest? (Cute is important, but a long term good match is fundamental).

Dasher

Walk away if you encounter the following;

• Elusive, sneaky, "just don't feel right about something" people.
• High volume, high pressure, salespeople. Pets are not a commodity. People who treat them as such are not going to help you, or the puppy, if, or when, you need them. If they are truly rescuing puppies to help them than it is, and should be, a life-long commitment. The same applies to all  parties involved.
• A smelly, loud, over crowded, shanty looking site. This is either a halfway house, a store front because the real holding facility is even worse, or a poorly managed rescue. I know the common over riding gut reeaction is to help these souls by getting them out of their deplorable condition, BUT, you are only perpetuating the problem for another soul soon to follow. The only thing that stops a bad business is no business.
• An argumentative, aggressive, assertive person who makes you feel pressured to pay and go. All rescues need to be selective in their screening process. Please try to understand this. If you were that puppy wouldn't you want your foster parents to be protective and not place you in anything less than a safe loving home? 

Aurora hides.

Rejection; It happens. Don't take it personally. I understand that many loving families are turned down from adopting a puppy that they want for things like; lack of a fenced yard, lack of current vet care (OK, I do think that this is super important, and yes, I am biased), or family dynamics that make placement of a puppy in a household with small children, cats, or other pets less than ideal in the rescues eye. If everyone involved is making decisions simply to benefit the puppy there shouldn't be any hard feelings. I know of so many clients who wanted to rescue a puppy, found the one they wanted, had their hopes on adopting them, and were rejected. So they gave up and went and bought one from a breeder. Their response to why they gave up on adopting?
"Why should we be punished for trying to save a puppy? And why should we put themselves through that stress again?" Good questions.

My Feelings on Puppy Mills; Dealing with the emotional stress of witnessing a pet in dire straits, deep need, and a sad past is really hard to face. I know that many of my compassionate clients want to rescue the puppy from the horrible places they find them in, BUT, buying that puppy is condemning another to the same fate. Money talks. Don't perpetuate the problem by giving the seller the only thing they care about, a buck. Call the local authorities if you see a pet in a poor living condition. Use the power of references, and local word of mouth. Rescuing is not buying from any person who doesn't have the puppies best interest in mind.

Contracts: Read the contract you are given BEFORE you sign it. Know what you are paying for, and know what kind of people you are supporting when you hand over payment in exchange for a life long responsibility.

Dasher

Veterinary Care; Seek a veterinarian for an examination within three days of adopting your puppy. Bring a fresh fecal sample and all of your puppies records. Have the microchip scanned to insure it is there. If there isn't one have one placed immediately.

The reindeer puppy pile..
my happiest place.

Insurance; Get Trupanion insurance as the first vet visit. A puppy can, and does, get very expensive diseases within the first month. Why not have someone else pay for it? Trupanion offers a free 30 day membership.

Lifelong Relationships; Build a lifelong network centered around your puppy. Being involved with rescue work is hard, emotionally challenging and can be heartbreaking. But if your life is centered around helping pets who have been discarded it is vital to hear, watch, and be a part of pets life who is happy because people like you cared. There are lots of happy endings, there just isn't enough sharing them. Be a life long supporter and advocate for the good rescues that helped you find your forever companion. It is the best way to pay love forward, and the best way to live a life of giving back. 

If you have any advice that you would like to share about anything pet related please come visit us at Pawbly.com. Pawbly is all about sharing information to empower parents, and help pets. It is free to use and open to anyone and everyone who love their pets as family,

If you would like to visit me I am at the clinic stealing puppy kisses whenever possible. Jarrettsville Vet is located in northern Maryland. Or find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Puppy Diets

Meet Bailey.
She comes in tonight for her first puppy exam...
and to be smothered in kisses from everyone in the building.
The first puppy visit is a long one, because there is so much to talk about...
and soo many kisses!

'An important part of your puppies first visit to the vet is to discuss the food you are feeding. We call it discussing the 'diet'. (I know that sounds confusing, because on the human side 'diet' is so synonymous with weight loss, but on the veterinary side we use diet to talk about food. And if your dog needs to "go on a diet" we call it a 'weight loss plan').

I have said it before, "we are what we eat, and you get what you pay for." It is imperative to feed good food so your puppy grows up to be strong and healthy. A good diet is one of the single most important things that you provide your puppy.

I know that many breeders recommend a specific food. I also know that in many cases they provide you with a starter pack. It is important to remember that your puppy is coming to a new home which is stressful, and  this stress often manifests as a soft stool for the first few days that your puppy is with you. If you are also changing the diet concurrently then this can cause even more stress on their sensitive delicate system. Because of the stress that a new home can cause I usually recommend a gradual diet change. The way we recommend to gradually change the diet is to add 1/4 of the new food to 3/4 of the old food for a few days (sometimes even for a week), then switch to 1/2 and 1/2 for a few days, then 3/4 new with 1/4 old for a few days. This should help their gastro-intestinal system acclimate easier and lessen the chance of diarrhea. D

When I meet a new puppy I always ask about what they are being fed. If I am asked what I recommend I always reply "a high quality commercially available puppy food, small breed for small breed dogs and large for large breed, for their first year."  I have my commercially available preferences and I discuss them. We also review how often to feed, (I say three times a day if they are under four months old, and twice a day from four months on). If you have your own preference we talk about that. I also remind new parents to not let some kid at a big box store convince you that their brand is better, and for god’s sake don’t let a t.v. commercial do it. Get credible advice from credible people. Ask lots of questions, let your puppy guide you on kibble size, and taste preference. Feed twice a day forever, and monitor to make sure that they are eating an appropriate amount daily. I can't even tell you how many clients bring their dogs to me saying things like, "I think its been a few days since he ate, I don't really know, I just leave food down." Wouldn't you know if you hadn't eaten in days? Wouldn't that concern you? It concerns me. I want to know every 12 hours how much and how well my pups are eating. I worry after 1 missed or partially eaten meal. I go to the vet after 2 poorly eaten meals and start looking for a reason why.

Ask about whether your puppy is underweight or under muscled. It is important to be feeding for a healthy weight and then to maintain that weight through their senior years. Obesity is becoming a huge problem in America's dogs and people alike, so we vets are very careful to not let our dogs and puppies become overweight. We assess whether a pet is overweight by the loss of taper at the waist (see the blogs about waistline at http://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2013/02/dawg-blogger-survey-on-obesity.html ). She should have a waistline whether you are looking at her from above or from the side. Your vet can help you with this. Keep fresh water available at all times. I wash the water bowl and every morning, and the food bowls after each meal. I also add a little wet food with the dry for breakfast and dinner. I do this simply to keep the pups interested in their food. But wet food isn't necessary. I actually have no preference over wet or dry, just stick to a high quality food. (Wet food diets stick to teeth so remember to brush teeth daily). I recommend that you leave the food down for about 30 minutes. If they don't finish the food in this time throw it away and repeat the same for dinner. I discourage leaving food out all day for few reasons. First, wet food will spoil. Second, it attracts ants. Third, it encourages over eating (because you aren't measuring and ALL of us over eat if the buffet bar stays stocked and available all day. And lastly, you always want to know how much they are eating at every meal. If you find that she isn't eating well, or at all, you will know sooner versus later.

If your pup isn't eating well, or if it appears that they are getting bored with their food try to add a little more wet food, or you can add a little bit of boiled skinless boneless chicken or rice. I always hesitate to say add anything, because before we know it your puppy will only eat chicken and rice and your well formulated nutritionally complete food has been replaced by foods that are not appropriate by themselves for a growing puppy.

A few last bits to mention. Treats. Use a very good high quality treat, or use the puppy food. Remember that treats also have calories, and if you are doing handfuls of them it might discourage them from eating a good daily diet, or cause excess weight gain. Raw hide, I am not apposed to them, but they are empty calories, and they are choking hazards, so only use them infrequently and don't use them as a pacifier. If your puppy is so rambunctious that you find yourself offering a raw hide chew to quiet them, then I would suggest it is time to go out in the yard and play. A tired puppy is a happy pacified puppy.

Parvovirus. One puppies journey. The Story of Cora.

Every patient is a story.

And every new puppy visit starts as the first page of a new book and the promise of adventure, intrigue, joy, mystery, and a few "surprises." Those first puppy visits are the foundation of many a long relationship with many a treasured client who in most cases turn into a lifelong friendship.

Sharing the few moments of the glimpses of a pup and their family growing up together, growing older together and witnessing how they both need each other is the validation that my profession holds a greater value than a monetary paycheck could ever bring.

Those "surprises" are supposed to be the cute puppy antics that every owner testifies are the "cutest thing you've ever seen." The jumping, tugging, tumbling, tussling, and playing are the welcomed "surprises."  The housebreaking "surprises," which although unwelcome, should also be expected. But the most unwelcome and unexpected "surprises" are those you never saw coming. Vets who have been around a few years have amassed a long list of these that we hope you and your puppy will never encounter.

At the top of my "unwelcome surprise" list is parvovirus.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that strikes puppies. It has been around since the late 1970's. When it first struck it killed many thousands of dogs and puppies. A vaccine was developed and since we have been vaccinating puppies starting at 6 weeks old.

We vaccinate puppies every three weeks between 6  and 16 weeks. For pit bulls, rottweilers, dobermans, labs, German shepherds, springer spaniels, and sled dogs I vaccinate once more after 4 months. I also remind every new puppy parent that a puppy is like a newborn. They may have been vaccinated  but no vaccine is 100 percent and these puppies don't have an active adult immune system until they are 6 months old.

Don't challenge a babies immune system.
Keep them under your own roof, in your own yard, and away from places where there are other pets that may not be vaccinated, or up to date on their vaccines, are. Please don't take your newborn to Wal-Mart, or to PetsMart, or your children's soccer game. True, your puppy needs and benefits greatly from playing with other dogs, meeting other people, and learning to not be afraid of all of the things that they share their world with, BUT, socialization  cannot come at the cost of disease exposure. Socialize your puppy  in safe places where all other pets are free from disease, current on vaccines and have not been exposed to a shelter-like environment, or a pet from a shelter or place with high disease potential, for at least 2 weeks.

Last weekend a 4 month old, 13 pound dacshund mix puppy came in to visit us at the clinic with an acute case of diarrhea. She had been adopted two days before by the daughter of the couple who sat worried in the waiting room. This couple had just laid their son to rest and their daughter fearing they would be lonely found an on-line rescue and adopted little Cora. Cora traveled in a van full of other rescued pets from the shelter in the deep south to the rural countryside of Maryland. Cora's paperwork stated that she had just been given all of her shots, was spayed, and microchipped. She was what we would call "ready to go."

Then the surprise happened.Cora's few episode's of diarrhea yesterday had turned into severe unstoppable runs today. Within 24 hours the bouncy happy energetic puppy turned into a lifeless pathetic looking stinky faucet of poo. She was very sick and needed emergency intensive hospitalization and life supportive fluids and medications.

Her complete vaccination record had us stymied for a day. We just didn't imagine that a vaccinated pup could have one of those puppy diseases she had been vaccinated for?

By day three she also started to vomit and our fearful suspicion was confirmed after the fecal sample returned as being positive for parvovirus.

Cora's parents left her to be hospitalized so she could get her needed i.v. fluids, antibiotics and supportive care. These are necessary to allow her body the time it needs to fight off the virus that was stripping her gut of all fluids, and sucking the energy from every cell in her body.

Like many rescues, and like so many of us, her new parents were not prepared for this medical emergency. There is no way to foresee how this disease will unfold, and now way to tell a very worried owner that their pet will survive parvo.

Here is my experience with parvo. It loves puppies. Especially puppies aged 3 to 5 month old. It causes a severe rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea. If you think you can treat it at home you can't. If you think that it is not something to be terrified of, you are wrong.  If you haven't brought your 6 or more week old puppy to the vet, or if you aren't sure of your dogs vaccine status, then you need to visit them as soon as possible.

Cora spent a week in the hospital. At day three she was dying. Her body was so depleted that she was fading away. Her parents were notified and they decided to put her down. Her prognosis was still guarded, they had suffered a terrible loss already and they could not afford her care.

There is nothing more heart breaking than a sick and dying puppy and parents who give up..I understand their concerns but I can't do it, I can't. I can't look in those sad desperate suffering eyes and say "I don't care."

So Cora was signed over to No Kill Harford. She was given 2 units of lifesaving plasma. and massive, expensive antibiotics and the monitoring she needed.

One week later she is a bouncing, kissing, heart warming miracle of love.

She heads to her new home tomorrow. Where she will capture more hearts I am sure.

I got this update yesterday, 3/13/13. We are all so happy for Cora!!

Hello Krista,
I was surprised at how few pics we are taking these days (busy busy!), but here are some from today (last one); the other two were from a couple of weeks ago. Cora is now 20+ lbs and has gone through her puppy shots. She still has a canine influenza (I believe) booster in a couple of weeks. She had a reaction from her first shot here- 4 bumps on her nape that kept getting larger. There was even a bump where her microchip was. Sensitive? The vet did a complimentary xray to make sure it wasn't something else. So with this last shot she received some benadryl beforehand- this time no reaction. She was on antibiotics to get the bumps down, and they have completely disappeared. She also was taking benadryl pills to help her with itching, and we shampoo her with something special, because she had a mangy-looking toe and hair missing from her front inside paws. Maybe all that was due to stress from leaving her first and second families, and unsure of us? But things have greatly improved. Again, she is a very smart puppy, and I can tell how much she wants to be good. She has been losing teeth, and so she was biting everything she could get her teeth into, but that seems to be getting better recently. I bought her a deer antler, which she adores! She has very few accidents, but they still happen on occasion when we are not reading her signals. She knows how to "ring the bell" but it's a delicate "ring" and her whimpering we sometimes contribute to her "talking" to the cats :-) She is a big fan of the snow, she loves digging and I can tell she is going to go after moles and such once spring arrives. She also loves hiding her toys all around the house! She grabbed some of our shoes to softly chew and hide- but that lasted 3 or 4 days. She was told "no" and hasn't done that in maybe 2 weeks. She's socializing a little bit on our bike path walks, and is a lot nicer to dogs her size & smaller than to the big dogs. Doesn't seem logical that she would be aggressive towards dogs 10x her size who could bite her head off :-) But that may be a standard "dog thing." Trying to think what else.... all in all everything is going very well! Her crate is still her place of solace and I love how she goes in willingly when it's time.... She seems to know the routine now. Oh, this weekend we have a soccer tournament in NH so she has to go to boarding for the first time. I am crossing my fingers!

Sleeping in her new home..Obviously strictly being kept off the couch.

From April 2014...her mom sent me a pensive pup photo.. 

Update; February 2015; Cora is now 2-1/2 years old. She lives in Maine. They sent me this photo and caption. She is a lucky girl, and they love her to pieces!

A note from her mom; 

"They say Cora is 6 lbs overweight. But we feed her what we thought was appropriate bc she is so active! Ok, possibly we have gone a little overboard w/feeding & treats... Is she not beautiful though??!! She is so strong. This was our little Parvo Pup. Look at her now. We love her like crazy. She is amazing & we can't imagine life without her..."

Related Blogs;

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. 

Parvo Pups, Proactive and Prepared Pays Off

Pivotal Parvo.

Watching People Ruin Their Pets. When Do You Intervene?

I saw an event unfolding last night that was not new to me, unfortunately.

A young women buoyed down by screaming, demanding, unrelenting children drags her new puppy in the hospital entrance. This puppy is a small, gangly, mopey, shy, quiet, a wallpaper scruffy scrawny little bag of bones. The last in tow.

As with every exam, my clock, the time you pay me for, begins the moment I set eyes on you and your pet. Being a vet who can only obtain the clues your patient can't verbally provide for you, is about observance. I do most of my work without the client talking or my hands on my patient. In many cases up to and almost 50 % of what I need to know comes from me just watching you and your pet interact before I even start taking notes.

This puppy was perfect. I knew he was perfect within the first minute of seeing him interact, or rather not react to this chaotic crew. He kept his nose down, his tail low, and his feet nimble. He went where directed, no argument, no challenge, no expectations. He sat next to a child ignoring him,,, the ipad was far too captivating. He rested his head on the baby seat carrier next to two month old toes wailing for a binkie. This puppy was last on the totem pole and he was so comfortable with this lot he had been lowered into that he didn't ask for anything more.

I loved him completely for just being so content in the cacophony of cries he misplaced himself within.

My pup Fripp. Abandoned in a box on the side of the road at 2 months old.

Trust me when I say this: puppies are born perfect. People screw them up. Even people who aren't trying to do it intentionally. It's just like kids. Why do they care so much about your opinion of them? Why are teenagers so internally conflicted? Fight so hard, care so much to be accepted? Because that's what youth costs. Puppies, like kids, need time, attention, acceptance, patience, and they need you to as much as possible. They need you to put them before yourself. That's what maturity costs. Juveniles often cannot articulate the exact origin of their dismay, but you know there is conflict if they aren't fitting into your life. The hard part isn't recognizing there is an issue, the hard part is stepping out of your own demanding, busy shoes and trying to fit your fleshy feet into their furred paws. March to the beat of a life without schedules, jobs, financial pressures. These are your problem, not theirs. They cannot relate to you. What happens when old and tired meets new and energetic? Division. Division leeches adoration. Puppies and kids need adoration. Maybe above all else.

My pup Storm. Abandoned at a shelter in NC.

I see far too many new pet parents who hold angst. Many know there is a problem. They can state it in pointed fingered deficiencies.

"It was a puppy mill puppy," (from which they paid for knowingly..), therefore insinuating every issue stems and is related to this... an excuse for us is easier than a plan to overcome.

"She was abused,,, " often a specific example follows to solidify the defense claim, "by a man with a hat. We know that because she is always afraid around men with hats." (Maybe she never had seen a man with a hat before? And, the point is??).

"She can't be crated." (I promise this is not her fault. It's why we start crate training at adoption. You don't go to any shelter in the world and see a room of "uncage-able" pets do you?).

"She can't walk on a leash." (what?)

"She doesn't like other dogs." (OK, that's setting her up for a big problem when an emergency happens, and it's also not fair to her to be so afraid of her own brethren. It's why we socialize as puppies. And, who was responsible for that?).

For new pets these issues, amongst the too numerous others, cause conflict. For the parents it adds stress and angst to an often already overburdened life.

Please don't give me, the veterinarian, the laundry list of "can't" or excuses as to why it "can't" be resolved.. I don't want to hear it. I don't subscribe to it, and, most importantly it isn't helping anyone involved. If you are giving me a problem that is affecting your pets ability to fit into your family we have to address it, solve it, and be prepared for other problems to follow. A road block is a dead end. More of these are likely to follow too.

My pups; Storm, Charlie (my local shelter rescue), Fripp.
All are PERFECT!

In some cases pet parent can't define the exact source of the angst, but, its palpable, and it's looming. I have to ask them to look at themselves? How did they contribute, exacerbate, precipitate, create the issue? It didn't happen without someone responsible for it. It is us, humans, never them. They are perfect. Your job, as their parent, their lifeline to everything in this world, is to help them feel that they are loved unconditionally. Isn't that after all the attraction to them we hold?

After they have tried to solve the source of their angst at home, usually with even more destructive options: like crating all day to avoid the chewing destruction. Chaining outside to avoid the inability to housebreak. Bark collars to shut them up. (They are barking for a reason, ever think of that?). Letting them run loose, because it is "natural." like the "natural" hit by car? After all of this fails they come to see me.

Serafina.. found after being hit by a car, multiple fractures,,,
my favorite part of my work day.

To be very successful in the capacity I wish to be as the family veterinarian, I think that I need a sociology, psychology, social worker and law degree, on top of my vet degree. People screw up everything. I know its not exactly the answer your therapist provides, but, damn, it's what the real life vet believes. YOUR PUPPY IS PERFECT! IT'S YOU. I'm sorry. YOU!

I have three perfect puppies who have been brought to me this year with owners who can't find the reason when they look into their doe eyes to want to keep  them. And, its always the same. It's always the same thing that I hear. "They (the accusatory kind of they), don't do...." whatever. The complaints at the end of the sentence might be a little varied, but essentially these clients want a quick fix to get this puppy to meet the restrictive containment of their humans life. They need to pee or poop less. They need to be quieter in the crate for longer periods of time. They need to bark, play, and overall NEED less." It is a recipe for disaster when these requirements meet my clinic. How can I possibly cure your overwhelming life? It's not your puppies fault you have no time for them. They are demonstrating that you have no time for them. Their lack of training, their rambunctious, unmet energy is your failing. Not theirs.

Fripp

Here's last nights scenario;

This client had just gotten her puppy. He was 5 months old. (Not the typical new puppy age).

"Where has he been?" I inquired.

"He failed out of a service dog program because he had separation anxiety." She then went on to describe how he was so anxious and afraid being left in his crate that she was finding him covered in his own urine and feces every time she left him alone in it. After some heated phone calls between the previous owner, (the supposed service dog training mom), it was discovered that he had never actually been crated, and he had never been left alone. Obviously he wasn't going to jump into a crate and be left alone and be happy about it. He had been set up to fail. Who created the separation anxiety? his previous mom. Some human set him up to be screwed in his next life with the inability to be crated, and never having been left alone. It isn't fair for him to be punished now for things he never learned. Sadly his next life hit him at 5 months old. I was also pretty perplexed how this could be any legit service dog organization? Of course he failed. He was destined to only fail. His new family consisted of a newborn baby, (like those we time stamp in weeks), and a three year old.. who liked to push buttons. The dog was for him, the three year old. He may be capable of feelings, but all I saw was indifference to anything other than the ipad. And three is too young. I stand by this. If you are an adult and you want a dog , fine, thumbs up, go for it.. but your kids under 10, you cannot convince me they are capable of the focus and attention a puppy requires. Stop setting the kids and the dog up to fail. Who is going to pay the consolation prize? The dog, always the dog.

Pets require time. Just like kids. When their needs are not met to their satisfaction they escalate. They escalate until the demand is manifested as a scream. And they tend to be the squeaky wheel that gets the time and attention and toy. The pets in highly active families learn to adapt. They are excellently skilled at adapting, but, they still need you. Many can adapt to being content tag-alongs; off to the beach, the lacrosse field, the family outings together. But, an untrained, unversed puppy, they are too much to manage on top of your kids.. so they get left behind. They get crated. Often too often when life gets too crazy to accommodate them.

When I am asked how much crate time is ok? I have to answer that every pet is different. But in general the puppies that are 8 weeks to 4 months old need lots of playtime.. like at least 4 hours a day. They need to be walked every 2-4 hours. During this time we work on leash walking, potty training. It is their time with you. They need to be fed 3 times a day. And they pee and poop A LOT! It's a full time job. If you already have a full time job and two full time kids why are you getting a puppy?

I make the mistake of asking. I am always met with indignation. Want seems to be an acceptable answer.. but, it doesn't serve your puppy. What is right for them?

It is my job, my purpose, my place to put them in front of your needs. To not set them up for failure. To find the place in your family where they belong, just as they are, a child growing and evolving and learning. Living to be a part of the place you are already solidly within, and  they are not.

I have watched too many families ruin a perfect puppy because they cannot put the puppy in front of themselves. there is no room in their too busy and cluttered life to allow them to grow, branch out, learn what works and doesn't. They are expected to be completely pre-programmed. Know what the dog before them, who had 14 years to figure it out did, and they are then brought to me.

The puppy I met last night was being diapered and drugged to fit better into the morning routine. Which allowed him time outside by himself while the kids and adult were getting ready. Wake at 430, leave at 630, no time  to play. He was fed, put outside and then crated. His frustration with this schedule was displayed by coming unraveled to the point he covered herself in his own pee and poo.

Mom wanted a stronger medication than her OTC to resolve the issue.

There are times I want to abandon civilization. Die in my own white coat and spare the pets of the world the neurosis we inflict upon them.

And yet I stay standing.

"Your puppy was set up to fail by his first family. He is being set up to fail again. He needs more time and attention. When he doesn't get her needs met he escalates. (Sound like your kid at the grocery store?). When he is ignored enough times he will develop his own bad habit, like barking, biting, growling, becoming aggressive, or even withdrawn. He is going to try everything he can to get the time and attention he needs. (I want to add hear in bold print AND DESERVES! but I am still dealing with a human who is putting her last and that won't work).

Melt down begins. "So you are telling me there is no answer?"

"No, I am telling you that we both recognize there is a problem. If you can't give him the time and attention he needs you can either pay someone else to do it; daycare, dog walker, etc. Or, you can re-home him so she can try to have his needs met elsewhere, Or do what I do, and, get a puppy for your puppy. But, there is no way around the needing to find more time dilemma."

I think I spoke to her for over an hour. I tried every imaginable conceivable idea I could muster.

In the end she wanted medication. It came back around to this.

"Medication is used while a behavior plan is being formulated. It is a bridge to allow time for the training to solidify. If medications are used and training fails the medication may need to be continued for years, maybe indefinitely."

"I am on anti-anxiety medication."

"Were you started on it when you were three? So you wouldn't cry? Or need a diaper?"

In the end I fear for this perfect pup. I fear he will be lost in the family that has no time for him. Lost in the expectations he hasn't been made privy to. Lost in the drugs his mom is intent on finding for him. And lost to a society that cannot possibly solve the problems that mount.

As she left she said to me that " She has lost her hope." I am losing mine too, I wanted to reply.

I want to add here that as frustrated, afraid, and concerned as I am, I recognize the scenario doesn't have a lot of options. And, I also recognize and verbalized that this mom needs to take care of herself too.. she, in typical mom fashion, dismissed this as relevant. My job is to be her puppies advocate. I have to figure out a way to help her help him. I HAVE TO! We BOTH have to...

Here's my recommendation for this puppies current dilemma. Crate for varying periods of time throughout the day, but, only after periods of playtime, exercise, training (remember training, yeah, this is so often over looked I cannot even mention it. Add another source of setting up to fail). Someone needs to be more  focused and generous to this puppy. NOW. The reply I got was, "there is no time." face palm.

When do  I intervene? When does my perception of the road ahead, the awful scenarios I have already witnessed; the dogs who resort to biting for attention and are euthanized because of it, and the dogs sent to live their lives alone in a cage, a chain, a shelter because they were perfect once and are ruined now?

I offered to re-home him. I offered to keep helping. Take the puppy during the week when mom was at work. It seemed that no matter what  I offered it wasn't the right answer.

The true joy in having a companion is watching them evolve into their own being. The antics, preferences, idiosyncrasies, quirks, etc. etc.., i.e. recognizing they are their own individual who enriches our lives as they live their own within the family we create for them. To try to mold them into what is easy or efficient for us is setting them up to fail. We know that for ourselves and our children already, don't we?

Muffins, one of our many clinic cats..
She was once feral. She now lives her life on her terms, and is unwanted because no one can see her for her, and love her in spite of it, except for us.

Medicine is as much intervention as it is hope. I question when to do either in a greater degree often. When do I intervene? Often and early. Every pet I fear is being forgotten, neglected, abused, or dismissed gets an intervention plea. Every, Single, One. I give out my email, my phone number, make an intro with my Office Manager (who has three kids and is far more adept at compromise than I), and I make weekly phone calls to inquire. I also offer to re-home. I know what shelters know. That if I can't fix it that pet will pay for it.. Bring them to me before dumping at a shelter. It happens. People screw them up and then give them up.

When clients arrive who cannot see their own participation in the poisoning of their pet, or, when blind pride will cost them a happy pet soul, I resort to hope. It's all I can do in some cases.

P.S. I wish more than anything that I could post the photos that I have of these pups. How much I worry for them every single day. And, how much I have to lean on hope because my influence of medical intervention limits my ability to stalk their homes. Why isn't there a social service for pets? Why? Because we live in a country where pets are property. Their rights end at food, water, shelter, and abuse.. not the kind that includes mental well-being and kindness that exceeds empathy.

Poe, our parvo puppy.
Puppies get sick, they need lots of time, training and vet care.. it is why they are often the most susceptible to abandonment, financial, emotional or otherwise.

Here's my real-life chart of euthanasia, abandonment, and pet related vulnerability;
X axis; age of pet; months to years
Y axis; desire to intervene on pets behalf to include; emotionally, financially, and medically.. new pets get a fraction when compared to pets in the family for years, as they age it declines. Based on my experience alone.

For related blogs see;

The Real Cost Of A Puppy. Parvo Puppy Poe.

Second Chance Cole. Your pet can live without and past you.

The Challenges Of Puppy Adoptions/Purchase

Planning Your Pets Lives Beyond Your Own.. A Moms Guide To Pet Parenting,,,

Top 10 Mistakes New Pet Parents Make 

Want to know what kills me? Watching a person ruin a perfect soul. Happens. That's what costs me my soul saving soul.

For more information on anything and everything pet related please ask us for free at Pawbly.com.

For more information on Jarrettsville Veterinary Center please visit our Facebook page, or website; JarrettsvilleVet.com

I am also posting lots of informative videos at my YouTube channel here.

Thank you for reading and sharing your life with the companions who remind us why life is worth working so hard to keep them in the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to.

The Real Cost Of A Puppy

If you haven't had a puppy recently, gone through all of the ups and downs, sweaty nights of worry, long days of potty training, and messy clean ups when "they just came in from outside?" in the last few years, then I strongly recommend that you listen to my tale of Poe before you willingly and feverishly jump back into those puppy days again.

This is Poe,,, so impossibly cute, fluffy, small and adorable you can't contain yourself from scooping him up for a face dive smother. He is the epitome of everything that causes the heart to flutter. All puffy-fluffy rounded edges of irresistible and full of possibility. He is perfect just the way he was born... they all start out like this.

It's us, the humans, who keep having to relearn what we can't get right, over and over again....

Poe came from Craig's List. An ad online. Cheap and available at the touch of a cell phone text message. Ugh,,, the number of bad endings that start at Craig's List. I wish I could say that I have more happy endings than disastrous consequences from Craig but in truth I wish Craig took his List and shoved it, hard, and indefinitely. Craig has no business in the pet business.

Every person who has no business breeding hocks their unplanned pregnancies via Craig and that damned List. Get yourself a dog, or two, and POOF! you are in business! Lucrative, dog breeding, business. Everyone oogles over puppies. And,, your dog, your dog is of course the perfect specimen. No courses, credentials, signature clad paperwork, no accredited oversight, no business related taxes or license fees, ordinances, nothing. Put one dog with another, call it a "designer" breed (people pay BIG bucks for them,, sshh! don't call anything a mutt anymore,, no money in "mutt"). Go online buy some acronymed derivative of something with a K(ennel) and a C(lub) in any random order and now your puppies are "purebred with papers." (Probably the biggest sham around).

$80 bucks. That's what Poe cost. His new dad and old dad met at a nearby parking lot and exchanged cash (always cash) for a small being of mercies being. That's all it takes. No questions, no paperwork, no legitimate form of this being anything other than a casual exchange. Sounds like a great deal, doesn't it? $80 bucks for that face! I mean, who can say no to that?

ME! I will say NO! I will say it for about ten thousand more times over my vet career.  I will roll my eyes, swallow hard, sink into my shoes each and every time I hear this prelude. "I got him off Craig's List." Every time I meet a new pet for their first vet visit I ask. It is important for me to know. I need to heighten my degree of paranoia and understand how much more at risk to everything these guys usually are.  Why is that? Because, I know, I have learned first hand, how terribly awful these stories can end. You haven't heard about how disastrous Craig's goods can be? Have you? Well, sit back, hold on, and let me tell you how hard a happy ending from this beginning can be, and often is... Let me tell you about Poe.

The person who had no business with puppies dishes them out to anyone with the cash to exchange. Too often this is unknowing meets unprepared,, and too often I can't cast blame unequally on one side versus the other.

Puppies, kittens, I would venture to say every living being, listed needs a better chance than Craig can deliver. These are living, breathing, vulnerable beings. Let me highlight "vulnerable" again.

I could go on for days. Will it change? Or, ever stop? Not in our current climate. The want ads are the lazy mans answer to affordability meets accessibility. No contracts, no fenced in yard requirements, no questions asked. Me personally, I take Craig's List to be a puppy mill incognito.

Poe was purchased by a family with good intentions. A puppy is pure joy. Undeniably simply flat out ubiquitous joy. They all start out like this. Joyful. The dream of a lifelong companion to grow old with, but, as every vet and rescuer knows the first two weeks are fraught with worry that there is some lingering issue about to rear its ugly Sith yielding cypher.

Poe was as unplanned in birth as he was in purchase. Poe probably had a mom who wasn't vaccinated, and a dad who was most likely a transient fly by night passer-byer. No decision with any living thing should be based on these.

Within days of purchase Poe got sick. He wasn't playful, wasn't barking and was both vomiting and having diarrhea. All the classic signs of parvovirus which was the first thing he was tested for when he arrived at the vets office.

A parvo puppy is like a box of chocolate. (I stole that from one of my favorite movies,, but it holds). You never know what you are going to get. Medicine is also like this. There is no crystal ball to foretell the future. No play book to follow. And, our last best analogy is to try to give you "an average case" scenario, but, even this doesn't always readily apply. Parvo can be quick, cheap and transient, or, prolonged expensive and still deadly. Which puppy gets which? That is all guessing and hoping.

Veterinarians have to prepare clients for this. The complete Pandora's box a parvo puppy presents. Within a day or two of being placed in his new home Poe was a sick puppy with a treatment plan that started at a few hundred bucks and had the potential to end at thousands and still include death. Who, which of these  poorly pet-educated brand new parents can face this. They did just pay $80 bucks for him. Poe's first vet visit was crippling emotionally. His first visit also cost over $150 and he only had a diagnosis,,, there was no treatment included with this.

Stubborn determination is a valuable trait to possess when you are a doctor. I can tell you all straight up that I have saved more cases by my dogged determination than my decades of intellectual tutelage. My devotion to my patients, my sheer hatred for unhappy sad endings, and this infatuation with feeling like love conquers all is omnipresent. It is how I have decided I must live this veterinary life I am trying to live through and still like myself when I hang up my stethoscope. Happy endings happen if you let them.

I always (YES! always!) see parvo as treatable. I don't ever suggest giving up on treating them until they prove me otherwise. I firmly believe that this disease is our fault. That negligent, unknowing, or otherwise breeder, parent, transport person, well intentioned or not, exposed this puppy and medicine is available to treat. But, I also always have to be honest. I have to confess to people that I never know which puppy is going to go which way, and even with all of the money in the world, (for which I have yet to meet the person who can admit this), you might still lose your puppy. It just goes like that. It's a crap shoot. Surely treating earlier and aggressively increases your odds of winning, but even these guys can take tragic turns and succumb. It's a tough one to watch. A puppy dying slowly in front of you. The worst deaths are the deaths without empathy and advocacy. I say this because I have seen it. Its not fair, it's not right and it's not the path I take.

Every,, yes, every parvo puppy who meets my hands is offered treatment. I don't want to sound self-righteous, I am not. I want to sound determined. I am determined to give every treatable patient a chance. Screw the pessimists, the hardened, the pragmatic economists. That face! Do you remember that face? Try euthanizing it. Try to talk yourself in and out of all the excuses to make it justifiable. I'll give you a minute....

When Poe's story crossed my path it was a quick three sentence inquiry from a fellow veterinarian.

"We have a parvo puppy here. Can you take him? We don't have an isolation area."

Now this is a veterinarian I know well. She actually worked at my practice for many years. She knows how I feel about parvo. And puppies. She knows where my heart strings are anchored and how to make a serenade of them.

"We don't have an isolation area either." I reply. I know she already knows this.

"And the guy has no money."

Of course he doesn't. If he did she would have sent him to the ER, who is more than capable and versed in treating this.

I call her. The texts aren't going to shed enough light to make this case comprehensible or resolvable.

The story is always (always, always,,,) the same. New (brand spanking!) puppy just purchased, (no accountable breeder would have unvaccinated, unquarantined puppies to set out into the world... never mind the cash exchange in the parking lot and no accompanying paperwork), and almost immediately the puppy gets sick.. really, really sick. New pet parent has no idea what parvo is? No way to transfer to the ER (who requires a $1,000 deposit and forewarns the final cost might be a multiple of this), and now the client is calculating if it is easier and cheaper to just get a replacement? After all they have only had this puppy a few hours/days.

Do the math. This whole scenario started with simple math. $80 bucks off Craig's List versus almost (or up to) $1,000 through some breeder.

The conversation with the other vet goes a little like this..

"We want to transfer him to the ER. He is dehydrated. Can you use some of your Good Samaritan funds to help?"

This puppy will do best at the ER. They can provide 24/7 care. They are however, expensive. People don't go because they don't want to, or don't recognize their value, they don't go because they cannot afford to.

"Ummm, what the??,,, that money is money we raised. We internally feed into, for our clients.. the short answer is "no." I don't apologize for my audibly shock-filled curt reply. But, I cannot stop talking here. Remember that face? She has already, before the text messages even started, sent me that photo.

"I am happy to show you how to create your own internal clinic fund for your own clinic. Or show this owner how to set up a Go Fund Me page." I reply.

 ... crickets....

I speak again, "If the only options come down to euthanasia then call me. I will see if I can get one of the rescues to take him and I will provide the care pro bono." Like I said I always offer options. They may not be what the pet parent wants to hear, but I am not offering for them, I am offering to give this puppy a chance.

"Ok, I'll see what he (the owner) wants to do. I'll call you back." click.

I go back to work. There are other cases in front of me to worry about. Internally I feel that bubbling nausea of frustration meets vomit induced worry that another sick puppy will be biting the dust because another vet who wants to feel like they are offering empathy is merely shirking the guilt and another vet practice who is happy to let me do what they can for their own patient for free.. I have to admit it gets overwhelming feeling like I am the only one around willing to offer and provide empathy with meaningful service and care. Not just lip service and wash your hands.. (permit me a bit of bitterness in my verbal exasperation.. I have to harbor it and set it to sail as a sort of cleansing endeavor).

Poe arrived a few hours later. I documented his arrival the next day. He arrived quiet (always a bad sign), depressed, and dehydrated. He didn't interact with us, he just sat there cowering on his pee pad  in his bare wired easy to decontaminate cage.

So the story begins. Will he make it? Will it take weeks of no sleep? Wondering and worrying and trying to protect my heart as he tries to survive? This is also always the same. Invest yourself without killing yourself.

Miraculously Poe only got better. He never had one episode of vomiting or diarrhea with us. Within 2 days I was pretty sure he would be ok. We, the collective small group of us who had intervened on his behalf, all talked about how lucky he had been. How nice it was to have an easy case with our much sought after happy ending. At least the ending of parvo.

We also talked about what was the right thing to do next?

The real hard cost to us was a few hundred dollars. We all agreed to donate our time. It was a gift we were happy to give him. I suggested that we give Poe back to his family. We had heard that there were children who were crying and distraught with the surrender of their puppy. That was something we didn't want to be a part of. We wanted to remedy that, if we could.

I called the vet who knew the family and asked if it would be a good idea to at least offer Poe back to them? (in other words, I was asking her to vouch for them as I didn't know them at all).

"Yes, the kids would be so happy. He (the dad) seemed like an honest good guy,, he was crying too."

And so it was, a veritable happy ending would be had in totality! We were all conjuring up the reunion videos in our heads. The crying crowd as we delivered a healthy puppy back to 4 little kids. Move over Walt, we were about to have our own Disney moment.

Now I am a pragmatic seasoned vet. I have learned (always the hard way) that helping people isn't just about getting them across the land mines, it is about being to that glorious sunset with the rest of the sun filled days behind you safely. I owe Poe this too. We wanted to spell out in black and white what being a pet parent entailed; regular vet visits, vaccines, preventatives, neutering, training, time and money. Love, yes, love is imperative, but responsibility is what assists you in curtailing the remaining potential land mines ahead.

We all agreed to give Poe back without any incurred costs. I would use donations and we all donated our time. We all felt really good about being a part of the good in the world when there is already too much sadness.

I called Poe's dad to share the news. I confessed that we don't usually do this. We don't usually contact the original owners, but Poe had been such an easy success that we felt it was the right thing to do in his case. I discussed the plan to help identify future costs of care, and even told him that we could help him find low cost options. Poe would be given back to them healthy and happy and we would help them with whatever he needed to stay this way.

He told me his kids had been upset with Poe's departure. He also said he wanted to speak to his wife about it. I left him my cell phone number and he said he would call me back.

He never did. He also never said "thank you," or, "I'm glad/relieved/happy, etc, that Poe is ok."

And so the dream ended,,, the fairy tale was half fulfilled. Poe made it..

Poe is still with us. A week and a half later. We will do everything we can to be a part of his life. Indefinitely.

And maybe there is one less Craig's List customer out there? Maybe he feels like he dodged a bullet? Maybe he thought that $80 is all a pet needs for their whole life? Maybe he just didn't have the $500 bucks I estimated Poe would cost over the next 6 months, and he couldn't listen to the kids cry again? I really don't know?

Maybe being a dreamer is not as important as a doer? And just maybe I need to revel in my own happy endings, even when the world doesn't deliver them in packages as marvelous as a puppy.

I would like to Thank Jenn for always being ready to take another potential heart break on. For making as many sacrifices as she does and for hoping for "happily ever "after as often as I do. But mostly for making every case a purpose and for never asking or expecting anything in return. It  is always about the animals who need us, never about what it costs us.

If you have a question relating to your pets care you can ask me, the whole team of us at Pawbly, for free at Pawbly.com.

If you want to learn more about Poe please see my YouTube channel here. Or, follow our latest rescue endeavors at our Jarrettsville Vet Facebook page.